Tool-box attachment for motor vehicles



may Tl WQH. E. 0. LOVELAND TOOL BOX ATTACHMENT FOR MOTOR VEHICLES FiledMarch 24, 1922 1w VENTOR of the running Patents t M l llillVlll'lEE'IT0. LOVELANT), UT KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

TUUL-BOX ATTAUTIMETNTT lBOlEl} NLO'TOR VEHICLES.

Application filed March 24, 1922. Serial No. 546,292.

To all wiiom it may concern: 1

Be it known that l lM'Min'r'r (l. LovnLaNn, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State ofMissouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tool-lBoxl tttachments for Motor Vehicles; and l: do declare the following to bea full, clear and exact description oi? the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which, it appertains to make and usetl'ie saine, reiterence being had to the accompanying draw; ings, and tothe figures of reference marked thereon, which TOIIH apart of thisspecification.

This invention relates to an attachment for motor vehicles andparticularly to a tool box which may be attached to the underside boardor step of the motor vehicle. b b i The primaryobject ot the inventionto provide an inexpensive, easily constructed elticient tool box whichmay be conveniently attached to the step or running board of the motorvehicle and the interior or which will be protected against dust, dirt,rain and. other objectionable matter.

It is also the purpose of the invention to provide the box with drawersor tills which tool box. 1

flange t and the flange usually carries a wear rail consisting of anangle 5., which may be fastened to the flange i in any preferred manner.The covering 3 is usually fastened to the plank or bracket 2 by bolts 6.

This construction is all old and well known.

In constructing the tool box I provide an elongated Z plate 7, at theforward edge of which is an upturned flange 8 and at the lower edge is adepending flange 9, the flanges 8 and 9 extending inopposite directions.

The plate 7 is provided with elongated slots 10 11, 12 and 1.3, throughwhich bolts or rivets may pass to fasten it to the cover plate or stepthrough the medium of the bolts 6. The elongated slots 10, 11, 12 and 13are provided so that provision can be made for varying distances of thesets of bolts onv the step; for example the bolts are not the samedistances apart for all types oi cars.

The body of the box is shown as comprising a bottom plate 14 havingwalls extending upwardly and laterally. as at 1.5 and 16, there being arear wall 17 substantially the height of the end walls 15 and 16. The

front of thebody portion, however, is open and along; its edge issecured a door or closure 18 which is provided with an opening 19,through which the lock-receiving pro jection 20 on the partition 21n'iaypass so that the padlock 20 may be passed through the opening inthe projection 20 to lock the door. The partition 21 runs transverselyo'tan d is within the body portion of the box, the partition being heldbetween the plate 8 and the bottom of the box proper. v as clearly seenin Fig. 2. The partition divides the box into two compartments which areadapted to receive sliding drawers 22 and which may be provided withhandles 24 and 25.

Tn assembling the box the partition 20 will be put in place and thecover 7 may be caused to rest upon the flanges of the end walls 15 andriveted or otherwise secured in any suitable manner. The rear flange 9of the cover 7 can be spot welded or otherwise secured to the rear wall17. The box will then be complete.

Tn attaching the tool box to the bottom of the motor vehicle step theslots will be brought into. register with the bolts 6. The upturnedflange 8 will be in slid in between the depending flange of the rail 5and the depending flange a and secured there by bolts or rivets 26, thebolts 6 assisting in securing the box to the step. Therefore, the boxwill be securely fastened to the step or running board of the vehicle.

The boa: will open from the outside so that by unlocking the lock 20,the closure or ill) door 18 will drop or swing to the position shown inFig. 2. Then the interior of the drawers will be accessible by pullingthe drawers out through the medium of the handles 24 and 25. When it isdesired to lock the box, the drawers will be moved back into closedposition, the door or closure 18 will be swung up, and the projection 20will be moved through the opening 19. It will, therefore, be seen thatthe single closure or door 18 acts as a connnon securing means for bothdrawers 22 and 23 to prevent their sliding movement during the time thatthe box is closed as, for example, when the vehicle is moving.

I prefer to have the forward edge of the plate 7 extend beyond theforward face of the box proper, that is, beyond the door 18 so that rainor water used in washing the car will flow off the step withoutliability of splashing into the box in the event that the door 18 isleft open.

The plate 7 is preferably Z-shaped in cross section; that is, it has alateral web with an upstanding flange 8 at one edge and a dependingflange 9 at the other, the construction being such that the flanges Sand 9 constitute edge rails for adding rigidity to the plate so that itcan support a considerable weight from the running board or step.

It will be apparent that the box can be readily and convenientlyattached to the running board and that access thereto may be hadwhenever desired.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is:

1. In combination with the running board of a motor vehicle, of a toolbox secured to the underside thereof, the tool box comprising adrawer-receiving casing having a door at its outer edge, a top providedwith an upstanding flange overlapping the outer edge of the runningboard, and an angle having a lateral portion overlapping the runningboard and a vertical portion overlapping the flange, the angle and theflange being secured together and the angle being fastened to therunning board.

2. In combination with the running board of a motor vehicle, of a toolbox secured to the underside thereof, the tool box comprising a bottom,upstanding ends and an upstanding rear wall, the upstanding ends havingoutwardly disposed lateral flanges. a plate secured to said lateralflanges and having bolt holes, bolts adapted to pass through the runningboard and through the bolt holes to secure the tool box to the undersideof the running board, and a door to close an opening in the outer edgeof the tool box.

3. In combination with the running board of a motor vehicle, of a toolbox secured to the underside thereof, the tool box comprising a bottom,upstanding ends and an upstanding rear wall, the upstanding ends havingoutwardly disposed lateral flanges. a plate secured to said lateralflanges and having bolt holes, bolts adapted to pass through the runningboard and through the bolt holes to secure the tool box to the undersideof the running board. a drawer-rotaining door to close the outer edge ofthe tool box, and a plurality of drawers in the tool box having slidingmovement with respect thereto when the door is open.

a. The combination with the running board of a motor vehicle, of a toolbox secured to the underside thereof and having an opening at its outeredge, a transverse partition in the tool box having a laterallyprojecting portion, and a door hinged to the edge of the opening andhaving an opening through which the projection may pass. the projectionhaving an opening for the hasp o l' a padlock.

5. A tool box for attachment to the run ning board of a motor vehiclecomprising a hollow structure having a top plate with an upturned flangeat one edge and a downturned flange at the other, the flangeseonstituting reinforcing side rails to add rigidity to the top plate andthereby assist in maintaining rigidity of the tool box.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

EMMETT O. LOVELAND.

